My poem about throwing away soap


I do some of my best writing in the shower. In my mind, of course. Neither pen nor phone can withstand the water. The inspirational quality of the shower may be in part because mine has a skylight. I can wash or just do hyrotherapy in sunlight, watching clouds drift overhead, or listening to rain on the glass. Whatever it is, washing naked in sunlight has to be one of the best pleasures ever invented. Add a beautifully scented soap to the mix and it becomes downright inspiring.

One morning I was sunlight showering meditatively, until I came upon a dilemma. My favorite soap -- one that smells of bergamot and roses -- wore down to a slippery sliver. It kept leaping out of my hands under the spray while I tried to preserve and use it. Common sense said to toss it. But there were many forces at work against common sense, as it turned out And that turned into this poem,"I Throw Away the Soap," published -- I'm delighted to say -- in Prime Number Magazine.

Click on the link to read the whole issue. My poem includes a mini-essay on the sources for the poem and how it evolved. Other pieces in this magazine also include brief comments on how the pieces came about. I love that kind of inspirational craft talk among writers and poets. Sometimes they even act as poem prompts!

Thanks, Val Nieman at Prime Number Magazine, for selecting my poem.


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